1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to thumb and finger protectors particularly adapted for a manicurist. The protectors protect against chafing and rubbing sores, and other kinds of skin injury and/or irritation that are caused by the handling of a nail tile and/or cuticle nipper in connection with manicurists' services.
2. Prior Art
Professional manicurists regularly provide nail manicures to clients, among other services. A manicure includes sculpting nails, or wrapping the nails in a gel and silk or linin wrap, or any other form of treatment or care for the nails. Manicuring, or sculpting, artificial nails normally includes a vigorous filing of the client's fingernails with one or more types of nail files or similar abrading tools. Manicurists are at risk of certain occupational injuries due to handling of such tools, in particular nail files, due to the manner in which the files are used in servicing the clients' nails.
For example, the nail tile is held in one hand to work the file in a back-and-forth tiling action. The tile-holding hand typically is also abraded due to handling of the file, and the manicurist may develop a soft skin condition which, after prolonged periods of filing, can result in chafing or rubbed skin sores, and like injuries and irritations. Certain nail files are made with a gritty or coarse abrasive resembling sandpaper. Due to the abrasive nature of the tool, calluses are not developed, and instead the skin of the fingers or thumb may be filed so thin as to bleed after only one day of filing.
The hand opposite the one holding the file or other tool is also subject to chafing and skin injury or irritation, particularly because the manicurist typically holds the client's hand or finger while filing. Injuries occur, for example, when the manicurist inadvertently passes the tool over his or her own hand or finger rather than the client's fingernail, or when the manicurist files his or her hand accidentally at the same time as filing the client's fingernail. In practice, such injuries tend to occur repeatedly at the same point on the manicurist's hands. There are several spots that are especially at risk of injury or irritation, namely surfaces at and adjacent the fingers holding the file, and adjacent the usual places where the client's fingernails are disposed in the opposite hand.
It would be advantageous to provide a set of protectors for a manicurist that cover and protect injury-prone spots. However, such protectors should not so bind or encase the manicurist's hands as to detract from dexterity or coordination. The protectors should comfortably and easily attach to the fingers and should be structured to be agreeable to the customer. Moreover, since the manicurist's job requires good tactile sensation, for example to judge the smoothness of a filed edge, such protectors should not unduly cover those portions of the hands that are not in need of protection.